Poetry Prompt: Misunderstood Lion

Its roar can be heard from as far as 5 miles away. All that yelling can drain one’s strength, so a 20-hour nap is a must to restore and recharge the ferocity required to chase after prey at the break-neck speed of 50 mph (over very short distances, of course), or leap as far as 36 feet (take that, gazelle!).

To some, the lion may appear apathetic with brief rounds of shock-and-awe. Few people can truly appreciate the strategic life-goals of the lion.

Poet Sandra McPherson unapologetically paints a portrait of the life of the misunderstood lion:

Lions

Lions don’t need your help. In the Serengeti,
For instance, one thousand like the very rich

Hold sway over more than Connecticut. The mane
Of the lion, like the hooked jaw of the male salmon,

Acts as a shield for defense and is the gift
Of sexual selection. His eyes are fathomless amber.

The lion is the most social of the big cats.
Pride members are affectionate among themselves.

They rub cheeks when they meet. They rest
And hunt together. And cubs suckle indiscriminately.

But strangers or members of a neighboring pride are not
Usually accepted. If a pride male meets a strange female

He may greet her in a friendly fashion
And even mate with her

But the pride females will drive her off.
Male lions, usually depicted as indolent freeloaders

Who let the lionesses do all the hunting, are not mere
Parasites. They maintain the integrity of the territory.

Try It: Misunderstood Lion Poetry

Often unfairly labeled, this feline has gotten a bad rap. Show them the respect due and write a poem about a misunderstood lion. Think about traditional stories, fables, and poems about Lions. How is your lion different from how they are portrayed in literature? What kind of personality does your lion have? What is their best characteristic or virtue?

How to Write a Poemuses images like the buzz, the switch, the wave—from the Billy Collins poem “Introduction to Poetry”—to guide writers into new ways of writing poems. Excellent teaching tool. Anthology and prompts included.

“How to Write a Poem is a classroom must-have.”
—Callie Feyen, English Teacher, Maryland